The Family Unit: Part 1 - Countering the Prevailing Culture

This week, Brother Michael discusses the importance of the godly family unit. He writes: The worldly question is always, "What's in it for me?"  However, as men and women of God, our question is, "Lord, what's in it for you?"

True Christians must have the audacity to take a stand on the truth of the Word of God in the midst of the spiritual battle, now that so many of the American churches have become secularized.  In our politically correct "Churchianity" culture, many churches have succumbed to the devil's tactic of "divide and conquer."  Often, those on either side of an issue are both wrong.  Only Jesus Christ, the prince of peace, can reconcile God's people back to God.  The devil is patient to divide and conquer by eroding the godly culture that used to prevail in these United States. The foundation of any culture is the family. The family has been under attack by the adversary for several generations in the United States. The strength of the family unit measures the prevailing quality of a nation.  Division in the family allows a nation to disintegrate from the inside out. A specific pattern of family relationships works best when men and women act according to the biblical blueprint for marriage. When we, as a nation, depart from this pattern we give up our life, liberty, and pursuit of godly blessings. This is the theme of the book, "Sex Roles in the Christian Family," by Peter Blitchington.

There is a "devolution" of the family in every culture. At the pinnacle of godly culture, the patriarch stands on the truth of the Word and the nation follows godly precepts.  However, patriarchs leading a country after having tasted power and influence, devolve because of pride and prejudice. In this next phase of devolution, the domestic family becomes prevalent and men take the spiritual responsibilities for their immediate families. There is great respect in the culture for godly virtues and adherence to the Word of God. The next phase in the devolution of the family is rebellion against authority. An example of this phase was the counter culture movement of the 1960's when traditional family values began to wane. The family began to splinter and to atomize into opposing factions. The focus was on the worth of the individual as opposed to the family unit. This promoted radical feminism, divorce, and uncommitted relationships based on selfish hedonistic fleeting feelings rather than on the enduring familial bonds of godly virtues.  The preeminent purpose became "what's in it for me at this moment of time."  Men of God were alienated from the mainstream culture and Churchianity was swept up into the spirit of the age. The church bought into the popular opinion that a man is defined by his work and his accomplishments, and not by his godly virtues according to the Word of God.

Restoring "the Family Altar" in the home is one solution to countering the prevailing culture that has atomized and disintegrated. Only one out of 1500 families that pray together breaks up. What happened to prayer and family devotionals in the church body?  Prayer and devotion time has become the exception rather than the rule in today's culture of Churchianity. Church has devolved into an unthreatening place, catering to the "goats" (referring to Matthew 25:32) of the world. 

Let's read Brother Michael's conclusion and answer to this growing issue tomorrow.

In Christ, Brian